Spending weeks in hospital waiting for an op gives plenty of time for useless musing.

So in no particular order …

Staff

Consultants are the same the world over. No more to be said there.

Similarly porters and cleaners. Pretty much at the bottom of the pile yet always smiling and cheerful. Interestingly while the UK was contracting out cleaning years ago, the Gib staff are in-house. And the hospital was clean. My room was cleaned at least twice a day as was our private bathroom.

Cleaning staff would laugh, chat and sing as they worked through the day.

Beds were regularly made by auxiliaries (or whatever they are called) and frequently changed. As I made a pig’s ear of my bed, I usually told them not to bother making it. Plus it meant I had to get out of bed. I’d got an elevator on the bed for my leg, so that tended to add to the rucking up of sheets.

They brought towels and cloths for our showers on a hit and miss basis so when I wanted a new one I learned to ask for one.

And they provided the meals, the tea and coffee service, and often answered the call bell too.

The nurses were the interesting ones. There was a diverse mix of English, Spanish and Gibbo. One of my nurses – who spoke excellent English – came from a town near my pueblo in Spain, so we would often chat about places in La Axarquia and the famous restaurant in my village.

At one point, he told me I was a good patient. How embarrassing. Me? Good? It seemed I did as I was told and didn’t cause any trouble. Of course not. If I didn’t want to take the silly paracetamol to lower my temperature it was easier to accept them and not take them rather than kick up a fuss. One pesky nurse stood over me insisting I eat them in front of him, but luckily I didn’t see him again.

There were quite a lot of male nurses which is A Good Thing in terms of getting rid of stereotypes. The only female medic I saw was an anaesthetist so it seemed the gender barriers were only falling one way. And it wasn’t in favour of women.

The nurses worked twelve hour shifts from 8-8. They spent most of their time dishing out pills and taking blood pressure, temp, pulse etc. The temp gadget fascinated me. It was a little thing they whacked in your ear. Whatever happened to ‘never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear’?

They would also clear away meal trays, bring pillows and blankets, respond to the call button, and help people to the toilet. They were patient and helpful. If you asked a question they took time to explain.

We’ve known a few British nurses who started work at St Bernard’s but things have changed now. Back then, after a year or so, they would get a perm contract. Now British staff are employed on renewable annual contracts for up to four years. The accom deal isn’t as good either. It used to be free accom for an initial period followed by subsidised rental, up to half as I recall. Now it’s a blanket £300 allowance. Still, better than nothing. Interestingly Spanish nurses have different (less favourable) contracts stopping short of a full year.

The ward sister was British and typically so, as was one of the important staff nurses. The younger Brit ones were less precious and didn’t exude the false saccharine so beloved of older British nurses.

My neighbour in the next bed needed helping to the toilet. I listened to one exchange.

“Just pop your bottom back a bit further.” (onto the chair as she was sitting back down)

“Oh, that’s good. Ve-ry good. Well done.”

God preserve me from hospitals and nurses treating me like an idiot in my old age.

I did bristle a couple of times at:

“How are we today Mrs Roughseas?”

Nowhere on the paperwork does it say Mrs. I corrected them some of the time and ignored them the rest.

But what a stupid question. I’m fine. I really like being stuck in bed for two weeks with a broken ankle waiting for a nasty operation. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. I certainly wouldn’t want to be at home, with my boys, walking around in fresh air and eating decent food.

And that brings me to the paracetamol issue.

Paracetamol

On my notes the doctor in minor injuries had written that I could have paracetamol every four hours as a painkiller.

I have a problem with the definition of pain. I don’t consider a mild throbbing or a few twinges to be pain. I have no painkillers in my house. If I get a headache I wait for it to go away. If I fall over, I normally get the injured limb into a comfortable position and wait for any pain to subside.

Pain to me is serious excruciating agony. Pretty much like when I fell over and couldn’t stand on my left foot. Anything else is to be tolerated until it eases.

Given that I had coped with the setting of my foot in plaster without screaming my head off, I couldn’t understand why I was being offered the chance to pop paracetamol at every opportunity.

Some of the more crazy exchanges I had went like this:

“Do you have any pain?”

“No.”

“So it’s not too bad then?”

What was unclear about ‘no’? ie NO pain.

And

“Do you have any pain?”

“No.”

“Do you want some paracetamol?”

I began to think they were all on commission for paracetamol manufacturers but seriously, why is ‘no’ so difficult to understand?

I accepted some at one point wearing my good patient hat, saying I might need them during the night. Truth is I could have called someone and they would have dished some out anyway, but still it brought a smile to a paracetamol happy nurse’s face. The next morning another nurse spirited them away saying we weren’t allowed to hang onto them in case we built up secret supplies. Just think. I could have built a cache of nearly 50 paracetamol tablets pre op.

Food

When I was first admitted I hesitatingly asked for vegetarian food and cringed at the thought of endless cheese omelettes.

‘I don’t suppose you do vegan food?’ I figured asking for veg was difficult enough.

‘Oh we had a vegan patient last week’.

That was it. I asked for vegan and wondered what I would get.

It started off quite well. My first lunch had a decent salad and TWO pieces of fruit (never to be repeated, only one after that) plus the obligatory soup and some type of main course. Evening meal was the same, except the soup was a different colour and the carb main course changed.

There was a nasty cock-up at one point where I got a bean omelette and yoghurt for lunch. I picked the beans out of the omelette. Trouble was the accompanying salad was … cold beans. I ate the chips. No vinegar. Only tomato ketchup. Another leaning towards Spanish cuisine rather than British. Who can eat chips without vinegar? Partner dutifully called at Morrisons and bought me a bottle of white wine vinegar.

After a week the salads dropped off and only appeared in the evening. An omelette appeared again. I didn’t even bother picking out the beans. I left it. Samosas appeared. They were very good. The kitchen was good at rice and chips, not so good at pasta. They produced couscous towards the end of my stay. I have no idea if they cooked it well as I loathe couscous.

Fruit didn’t always appear for dessert. Again in the second week, we started to get jelly. Jelly? There were no ingredients listed. Gelatine or pectin I wondered aimlessly. And left it anyway. I see no reason for hospitals to provide desserts. What’s wrong with fruit?

And why was there never any bread? Not for lunch or tea. Strange.

I asked about soya milk for breakfast. ‘You’ll have to get your family to bring that in.’

So how was I meant to have cereal? What happened if they had someone who was lactose intolerant? I mean FFS they only had to walk over to Morrisons,literally across the road, to buy a carton of soya milk. Was it really impossible?

But let’s end with television.

TV

When I finally turned it on I was surprised how bad it was. There were loads of channels although they didn’t all work. The main contenders were there:

GibTV (doesn’t start until 7.30 pm or something)

BBC 1
ITV 1

Spain’s Telecinco, Antenna 3, Canal Sur, and a couple of others

Then there were all the rest, Gold, Discovery, Yesterday, Sky News, TCM, Movies 24, Star movies, True this that and the other.

Some of the receptions were dodgy too eg, Gold. First thing I found on there was Only Fools and Horses so that got skipped over pretty rapidly.

I found a documentary about monkeys that pointed out male monkeys at the bottom of the pecking order do what the alpha male says. Also, monkeys are intelligent. Dear me. Is this the level of information now given out on documentaries? Lots of pretty pix but nothing in terms of serious education.

Quiz progs, quiz progs, and more quiz progs. Reruns of Britain’s Not Got Talent. Amazing Greys where a team of oldies takes on a young person.

I pleased myself by beating both the ancient antique expert and the young contender.

When TV isn’t showing quiz games or untalented progs, we’re bombarded with antique shows and house progs. Too too boring. I tried drama – Prey and Vera. At least Vera had pretty scenery from Northumberland and a Land Rover. That’s all you could say for it.

Whatever happened to drama like The Monocled Mutineer or The Singing Detective?

I tried the film channels. The Great Escape was on TCM on both Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the available films seemed to be about mutant Stepford wives wandering around their palatial mansions with bouffant hairstyles, HUGE earrings, designer suits, six inch heels, and faces plastered in cement. There’s more reality in a sci-fi film. Or maybe people in America really do live like that.

One film was so bad I had to watch it out. I think it was based on a true story. A mother was so obsessed with her daughter becoming a cheerleader that she tried to take out a contract on her daughter’s friend – who was the main opposition – and her mother. She got 15 years for it, but was apparently allowed to go free on some loophole that revolved around the fifteen years. But what does that say about society? Trying to kill two people so your daughter gets to be cheerleader? JFC. Which incidentally, reminds me said murderous mother went to church. Natch. I rest my case.

British films were few and far between but I did catch The Secret Life of Ian Fleming starring the handsome Jason Connery. That was good, even if it wasn’t wholly accurate. Starting Over with Rutger Hauer was a bit soppy but the Scottish scenery and the Land Rover were nice. A Touch of Class with Glenda Jackson and George Segal was just unsuccessful despite Glenda’s Oscar for her role.

Even the news is of dubious quality. Why does everyone have to be so jolly and smiley and in your face? And have so little to say in far too many words? What happened to restraint, decorum, politeness? I don’t want people on TV to treat me as though we are best friends.

I spoke to Partner one night on the hospital ‘phone that comes with each bed (incoming calls only but still useful). ‘I think we should get a TV’ he said. ‘I think not,’ I replied.

Amazing Greys quiz answer: Dickens’ desk, Lexus camera, JFK jacket.

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About roughseasinthemed

I write about my life as an English person living in Spain and Gibraltar, on Roughseas, subjects range from politics and current developments in Gib to book reviews, cooking and getting on with life.
My views and thoughts on a variety of topics - depending on my mood of the day - can be found over on Clouds. A few pix are over on Everypic - although it is not a photoblog.
And of course my dog had his own blog, but most of you knew that anyway. Pippadogblog etc

95 Responses to Views from a hospital bed

I hope you are fully recovered. By coincidence I was in hospital a couple of weeks ago for some day surgery. Having read about how bad Grimsby hospital is (failing and all that) I was naturally apprehensive but I have nothing but good things to say. Wonderful staff, spotlessly clean, superb anaesthetic (I’d definitely do that again – much better than San Miguel) great tea and toast in the post op recovery room, I don’t want to go back in a hurry but it really wouldn’t bother me if I had to. Luckily I didn’t have to stop in overnight because I couldn’t find a booking.com rankings feedback page on the web site!

You see a different side with day surgery but I’m glad it went well. I’ve got a good tale about anaesthetic coming up in the next operation post on Roughseas. We had someone on our ward for day surgery although Gib does have a dedicated day surgery section. In and out in no time, well, maybe eight hours or so. Beat my 15 days.

It’s interesting we’re all swayed by the incidentals, food, cleanliness, staff attitude when the prime factor for judging any hospital should be clinical care. It’s also the one factor that is the hardest to find out about.

I knew you were having a minor break ( sorry) from the blog but I’m horrified to realise I didn’t know you’d broken your ankle. I can only hope that you’re well on the road to recovery now, and at home since you’re blogging again.
Hugs

I was busy doing important things, the broken ankle just intervened in the midst of everything. Nobody would have realised about the ankle as I’ve been offline until this week. Came home at the weekend, but am confined to sofa so had to get wifi and an iPad to keep me entertained for the next six weeks in plaster.

PS I’ve tried to read your diaries but my new Hal iPad is being most skittish and keeps whisking it away from me. I may need to catch up via Hal laptop which is in the bedroom and necessitates a lengthy hop. (All hops of more than two or three are lengthy). So it may be some time before I catch up.

Your Hal iPad shows good taste. You’re missing nothing of import except from my point of view the music.Just the opportunity to relive some old memories dredged up by my choices. Maybe that is more important than the words anyway so I do hope you get to check it out. If not, why worry. Just behave yourself and try to get better soon ( ridiculous thing to say really since we don’t have choices but you know what I mean).
Take care of yourself.
Hugs.

It was interesting from an academic point of view being a patient as I spent ten long years working in the health service.

I’ve had the op and I’m home. That’s as much as I can say as I’m immobile for six weeks. Still, home is good. Even if Little Rat thinks jumping on broken ankle and trying to chew paster is the best fun ever.

Reminiscence of my recent stay, I did not have any tely for five weeks but had free radio for three, and as for the food, which was done by outside contractors, absolute disgusting and I could not eat the tasteless mess. I did eat fruit mostly bananas..I refused to eat and lost a good couple of stone.[still trying to put it back] the week before I left I was threatened with being drip fed. Your story is very similar to mine, my care was covered by a good mix of male and female staff, including the doctors/surgeons. Our cleaner were again contracted out and nearly all did not speak English, probably illegal. Once a day. I personally was very pleased with my care, and seeing what these nurses, of all grades had to do and the hours they put in, I can say I have true admiration for them. I have now got a few extra friends. I loved your writing of your stay, I can completely relate. chow for now…. 😉

There was local radio as well, but I just wasn’t interested in the noise. So long as the room was quiet, I didn’t bother putting on anything.

Food, well as I said, I was grateful for anything veganish. I did add salt and pepper to the soups, and sometimes olive oil if I’d saved up some sachets. Same with pasta, black pepper and olive oil. It wasn’t brilliant food, it was edible, some was quite nice, I certainly had enough that I could eat. Sorry to hear your food was so bad.

Your cleaning doesn’t sound a patch on ours. It is such a critical service in hospital, I really disagree with it being contracted out.

Nurses always get the plaudits don’t they? Deservedly so in my opinion. I may write about the doctors next …

Glad you could relate, although not so glad either of us ended up in hospital. Hope you are well some five months or so down the road.

You would not have enjoyed the food here, it never looked appetizing.
I had a brilliant surgeon and team, even though they argued amongst themselves, but the head surgeon stuck to his guns and all worked out…
I am well, getting stronger each, need to get some weight back on my legs especially.. Have had a few mental moments though,, looking at my scars remind me.. but I keep telling myself to buck up, as does my family.. thanks.. wishing you well. 😉

I can always eat soup, salad and fruit. The rest was a bonus if it was decent.

My surgeon is pretty opinionated.

Good to hear you are improving, as with everything, time helps and best not to rush. health is always partly mental. Mental and physical health are so closely linked. That’s why I just accepted what was happening instead of fretting.

Interesting that most of the nurses are male. There are so few over here. And there you had me thinking you were ms. mean and lean…”get offa me you horrible person and no I don’t want the stupid pills!” or “dejame en pass! (chinga tu madre puto!) You’re nothing but a big softie. lmao!

I didn’t hear enough of stampy feet…but then again…reason for that. 😀 I’m sure she’ll be back with us soon enough.

Hey, Pat and I just started watching that, Amazing Greys…it’s pretty cool. I love it when the oldies win! 😀

All the nurses were nice (except the one who force fed me paracetamol). But it was nice to have a good gender balance. It seemed more real. And anyway, men are nice. I was not a softie. I fitted in appropriately.

Can’t stamp left foot right now. It will be summer before that happens. If I stamp the right one I will fall over.

No, he was being a bossy control freak, who for some reason felt the need to make sure I really did eat my tablets. Would I have left them? Me?

In fact had they had any brains, instead of looking at the one evening reading and just going on that, they should have looked at previous patterns (as I did) and seen that the morning reading was always lower showing that my temp went down naturally overnight.

No it doesn’t. If I am sitting or lying down, I can quite easily stamp the right foot.

The Am Greys antiques thing was interesting. Fancy a pro antiques dealer thinking Dickens’ desk wouldn’t be valuable. Apart from anything else, it looked like a decent piece of furniture in its own right. And the camera (which he got) was lucky because he’d seen it sold recently so had an idea of the value.

First I have to pay some bills. Then I have to sort the books. Even I *should* be able to do that in six weeks. Amidst the odd few blog visits and posts.

How interesting your hospital people are so attentive and cheerful. (And cleaned so much!) Here, it’s best to have family or advocate at bedside to get things done.I had trouble getting anyone to help move my dad up higher in the bed after he slid down so far…multiple requests. They ignored direct orders by dr to get dad up into a chair twice a day.(in 3 day they got him up once) Of the whole lot, only one woman seemed to care…and she couldn’t be on call 24 hours. This was a small regional hospital, but it seems to be fairly typical from discussions with others. Staff mainly there to eat at the nurses’ station – patients are such a bother.
If we have a medical problem, we head to one of the big hospitals in the medical center in Houston. The staff there is more professional. Partly just better people as it’s a good work environment, partly due to evaluations about all staff/visit each patient fills out. These were started 6-7 years ago. The staff all know you are going to fill them out – and they are individually rewarded for good evaluations, so we make sure to get their names right. (That hospital actually has good food – veggie would be no problem)
What is it with the pain killers? They push those things so much. I guess some of us are more used to being a bit uncomfortable in life on occasion.
Finding anything to watch on TV is difficult even with good reception. Sometimes the old movies and series (where they actually hired writers who developed solid characters and intriguing plots) are all you can find. Pretty sad fare most of the channels. Those big haired women? What reality shows and Hollywood wants us to think is normal?(maybe part of it was in Dallas 25 years ago, but we’ve moved on…hire some writers!)
Well, this is too long, but maybe a bit entertaining for you.
So glad you are home – and sure the rest of your family is, too. Even lame, they like you around.
Stay off the leg so you’ll heal faster…and as the Jewish mothers down the block would say…eat!
(snorts) Hasta later

The staff were friendly. Very personable. A couple of less smiley ones but even they brightened up on Fridays.

Bad news if you don’t have family to sort you out. I wd worry if I was older, but at my age I still seemed to be capable of asking for what I wanted and not being pushed around, plus asking why they were doing x,y and z and asking for results of any tests.

The auxiliary staff liked their breaks at the station, many of the nurses rarely bothered.

From work, I know that larger hospitals are clinically better, even if staff are not as friendly (I’m talking UK here). But you go to hospital to get better not to chat. Sure it helps if staff are pleasant and friendly, however it’s not the most important aspect. No idea if they have started evaluations yet. It’s very subjective though. However in terms of scores out of ten I would give mine between 7 and 9. Def all well above 5.

Actually the women did look very Dallasy (ie TV prog Dallas). I’m surprised they got anything done in the mornings, their appearance must have taken all morning to put together. Either that or they all got up at 3 or 4 am. Interesting, given where you live, to hear your take on their quite crazy and surreal appearances.

I’m not sure Partner is pleased but he was sick of visiting hospital so that is a plus in his view. Snowy finds it fun to have his large toy back and to curl up to her on the sofa. When he is not running all over her and playing bitey and tugs.

Horrors! A new tv show is planned “Ladies of London” on Bravo(“US rich glamorous social climbers and London snobs” snarl and fight) BBC is stepping up with “2 upper class sheltered Brit siblings who visit America for the first time”..how I hate reality shows…
Since you are stuck sitting, are you interested in doing any free lance editing? Roxie’s new pub. Co is looking for some. Been meaning to mention it to you.http://sunscribe.net/2014/03/14/are-you-a-freelance-editor-sunscribe-wants-you/

Yeah, that ref is what’s slowing me down (At this point in my life…besides many of my refs are either dead or in Barcelona’s night life or hiking around somewhere across the world…none of us stay still very long) – Actually her emails were much more casual – Roxie’s opinion is what’s important – and what she likes is a sense of humor – send her links to your blog so she can get to know you and keep it open

I can probably use some people I’ve done recent editing work for and my neighbour (former head teacher) is always my character ref (bless him). I did track down a UK boss for one job app, and he asked me to write it myself. I think that’s reasonable quite honestly. I hate wasting peoples’ time for refs. That’s one of the reasons I will not provide them pre-interview, only when I am offered a job. Refs are NOT intended to be part of the selection process. Anyway I’ll work on it and follow your advice.

It’s been more than 2 decades since I’ve been a patient in a hospital – overnight after botched day surgery, and the other time almost 2 decades before that. The only frame of reference, other than yours now, is from my Dad’s recent and numerous stays. I thought the same for you as I did for Dad’s last stay which was of similar duration – that’s a long time. At least he was mobile, could make himself cups of tea in the kitchen shared with staff, which I thought was good. If I could ever choose I’d go to a country hospital, a lot more user friendly. I guess if you are sick or incapacitated it’s easier to cope with hospital food (you eat less) and TV (you watch more but it passes time, and has novelty value for customary non TV watchers). Books are invaluable. And your time spend observing was interesting in blog terms. And paracetamol has cachet in some circles. I don’t now exactly how the pharma benefit scheme works here for pensioners but I know a few who have a cupboard full retained surplus to needs, just in case. I’m pleased you are home, somewhat mobile, have connectivity rather than TV, are eating your own food, and spending time in the company of Partner, Snowy and Pippa – all of which you must have missed.

Nearly four decades since I was in! Needless to state it was an ankle – ripped ligament to right ankle, 17 stitches I think. God knows what my left one will look like with a scar on both sides. Think I will avoid looking at it.

Small hospitals may be more friendly eg Gib, but evidence shows that clinical standards are better in larger ones… Not that we have a choice in Gib. Lucky to have a hospital!

I enjoyed the reading. I’ll add some short reviews over on Roughseas.

I suspect I could have set up a source for black market paracetamol if only I’d stashed them all away. As it is, I came home with two (stashed) and 12 ibuprofen. And 12 tramodol but that’s another story.

You sure mean to do things well when you do them RS, don’t you? You are working so hard and then you find the time to break an ankle as well! It sure sounds like you needed the break – not the ankle break – but the rest. LOL! I would not enjoy an hour in any hospital, so I take my hat off for you hon. Get well soon. Thinking of you. 😀 ♥ Hugs ♥

Hospital is all right if they leave you alone and you have a pile of books. The longer I stayed in, the more I had the curtains drawn around me though! I could see the outside views and withdraw into my own little book world, waiting, waiting, waiting.

There I agree with you fully and don’t forget the laptop and unlimited access to the internet. They won’t hear a beep out of me for sure then. LOL! Those views are just beautiful where you are. They should have more views like that for hospitals.

Please do try. You see what happens when you work too hard and don’t take time to visit with your blogfriends. LOL!

That sucks! But they have TV’s. They should wise up. 😛 Internet is way more fun and WordPress too. LOL!

Well, on my side nothing interesting. Just me and my monkeys and bugs, etc. etc. Ark on the other hand got tired of being second when it comes to Violet’s beautiful shots and started posting some of his own. Then he and Violet talked about Trolls but Ark won with his ‘Trols rool okay’ story. Oh, and he also thinks I am a ‘star’ because I chuckle at his ‘scribblings’. I think Violet is still angry at him. LOL!

Victoria is trying to find out how many of us ‘hear voices’ – I think she wants to analyse us. 😛 Told her I just talk to myself and luckily I forget what I said just before I start answering myself. I think that should satisfy her, or at least I hope so. LOL!

Just writing part 2. Doing a bit of research. I could have really hit the jackpot with a tri-malleolar fracture!

I suspect internet wifi for the whole hospital would be quite pricey. They prob put the TVs in before Gibbos got wifi-ed up. Back when I connected at home the ISP wasn’t offering wifi to domestic customers.

I will try and find your monkeys. I suspect I will get MWS (monkey withdrawal syndrome) none in hospital and me confined to flat for six weeks.

I think bird and flower pix are ok but not all the time. Personally I don’t think you can beat ark’s daughter’s pix of the boxers, but that’s my dog preference coming out. I may look up the trolls when I am feeling aimless. There again I may not.

Voices? No. I try and avoid any voices, real or imaginary and then I can carry on my own sweet way.

Sounds like fun. As long as you’re enjoying it, but knowing you, research would be fun. LOL!

Well, the money they charge should cover internet access for sure. 😀

I haven’t posted them yet, but will let you know when I do. 😀

I love bird and flower pics and they never get boring, especially if it’s different birds and flowers. Personally I think the same. Those are great shots of Bella and Bobbi for sure. I love Boxers. We had 2 and we loved them to bits.

I don’t do the voices thing either. Told Victoria it must be because their ‘God’ favoured them, so I’m not one of the ‘special’ and ‘chosen’ ones.

Well, you pay through national insurance contributions like the UK system, my care is courtesy of A as he works, I don’t. But most European hospitals treat A&E patients anyway! and that’s what I would have been classed as.

I get quite frustrated when people say they are frightened of monkeys. Leave them alone, show respect not fear, and you should have no problems.

Poor old Pippa. His blog has been neglected again. I shall have to write up something for him.

I just want to lead a quiet life without any grief or broken ankles. Is that too much to ask? Other people can be as special as they want, just don’t involve me.

Wish we had a system like that. Here hubby must pay his taxes and everything else but doesn’t get anything in return. I am glad the system there helps in cases like that. We have to have medical aid but can’t afford it. Way too expensive.

Same here and especially at some of the folks here that throw stones at them or start screaming at them because they ‘dare eat their flowers or take fruit from their trees’, and then they can’t understand why the monkeys become aggressive. Then they turn around and blame folks like me and my neighbours for ‘feeding’ them. Then I get furious and tell them in that the vervets were here first and I don’t see anyone asking their permission to build houses here and mess up their habitat! If they had enough food in the mountains, they would not come down to look for food and why not share what we have in our yards with them? I would much rather feed them than some of these low-life beggars who does not want to work because they get everything for free and to pay you back they break in and steal your possessions. We’ve been living here for 3 years and not once did the vervets come into my home and steal anything. They sit and wait until I come out. Some would come as far as my desk and one even came and sat on my desk one day, hands folded, waiting for a treat. And I agree with you – if people are scared of them, best to leave them alone. They are very intelligent beings and know when you don’t have respect for them.

I think I must have a word or two with Pippa being so neglected. LOL! I would love to see some new photo’s of him and the little ‘rat’. Pippa sure knows how to write a blog. Please give them both lots of hugs and kisses from me. 😀

Not to much to ask at all and well said. Get well soon and have a lovely day. 😀 ♥ Hugs ♥

British people love to moan about the NHS (national health service) and yes it has its faults. I wouldn’t swap it for insurance based care in a million years. And the care here in Gib has been pretty decent.

Totally agree with every single word you wrote about monkeys and peoples’ silly attitudes. I don’t feed them, but ours are fed daily by the government as well as natural foraging (fruit, olives).

Yeah, I’ll do a Pippa pupdate. Got plenty of Snowy’s diaries to add too. He was a nightmare when I came in today. I’d only been gone three and a half hours!

I shall chill for the rest of the day, maybe watch a download on the iPad. Thanks, you too.

When I first started spending time on forums a while back (don’t any more, prefer blogging), the crowd was mostly American. Tales of their health care, or lack of, and what their insurance company would let them have had my hair standing on end.

Feeding the monkeys used to be done by the military in the days when Gib was overrun by British soldiers. One of my readers used to feed them!

There is a saying that if the apes ever leave the Rock, Gibraltar will No longer be British. And of course they are good for tourism. Even our SA friends said they had never been so close to monkeys.

One of my friends has offered to ‘guest post’ something from Snowy 😀 so that will be an interesting read. I hope.

A and I tend to be big dog people but Snowy has quite captivated us. Probably partly because of his rotten start in life.

Have fun? There’s a limit to what you can do on a sofa with a broken ankle in plaster. 😉

Oh, so you were on forums as well. Me too but I must say, blogging is way more interesting and user friendly for sure. 😀

That is one way to put it and yes, when I read or hear about some of the hair-raising stories regarding others and their health insurance, I am grateful for my health. 🙂

I would sure love to visit there and see your monkeys. They are so adorable! In some ways we are also a ‘tourist attraction’. LOL! I would sometimes go and sit in the front garden and the monkeys would gather around me – hubby says it looks like a creche – and they would wait patiently for their treats. People driving down the street would then stop and watch the show and can’t believe that the monkeys are so friendly with me. Most of them here fear them.

I will be on the lookout for the post. You are one very lucky lady and I am sure it will be. 😀

It was the same with us. We had Boxers and our last big dogs was a Rottweiler female and a Boerboel/Mastiff cross male. I also had a Yorkie and a miniature border collie but they are all in doggie heaven now. We only have Simba and Tweety, the African Grey. 😀

I can see why Snowy captivated you. He has the most adorable face and such a personality! I am glad you took him in. He deserves the best. 😀

Clearly you are not using your imagination woman! Of course you can have fun. 😈

I was mainly on a (radical) feminist forum. Everyone was very opinionated and we seemed to spend a lot of time arguing, it’s quite funny in retrospect but also an interesting microcosm of feminism and a sad example if why feminism gets nowhere fast. We all thought our interpretation of feminism was the right one 😀 then there were people like me who would put animal rights before feminism, or a part Cherokee woman who put race issues before feminism. There was a huge split about married women who decided to take their husbands name and call themselves ‘Mrs’. Should MtoF transpeople be admitted to the radek forum that was for women only? And on and on it went.

There is more diversity in blogging which appeals to me more. Plus there are great piccies to look at.

Maybe you should put up a sign, feed the monkeys with Sonel? And charge? Only joking. I add quickly. Nicer to keep it between you and them.

My parents had boxers and a ridgeback. Ours have been Labrador, cross setter/lab, GSD, GSD/husky (Pippa) and the first small dog – Snows.

Boerboels are gorgeous, I was following a boerboel blog, must check it out. It was young, but I think it developed some joint probs. 😦

I tried snogging a boyfriend on the sofa when I was 15 with a cast on my leg (an ankle problem). Even that was difficult!

The gods forbid that I should ever land on a forum like that. LOL! I am way too opinionated and judgmental and just like you, I would put animal right also first. It sounds too much like the ‘clicks’ around here where Mrs Doctor and Miss White and Mrs Black have way too much to say about matters that doesn’t interest me most of the times. LOL!

I totally agree. Way more diversity and chat friendly too. 😀

Thank goodness you were only joking. That’s not something I can even imagine. Oh well, if they want to throw money in, that will be fine but of course the monkeys are faster than I am and will run away with it. So no luck there either. LOL!

Awww, Ridgebacks are awesome dogs! I love the mixed breeds. Mostly because they’re stronger than the full breds when it comes to illnesses but don’t have favourites. All dogs to me are gorgeous and beautiful. Even if they are so beautiful from ugliness. LOL!

They sure are. Sergeant was such a huge dog and we did not dock his tail. So whenever he was the vicinity, you’d occasionally get a hard snap from that tail and it felt like someone hitting you with a sambuck. LOL! Boerboels are so protective but also the best with kids. 😀

Awww shame. It’s a pity when they do develop probs like that. I so feel for them when they do. I hope it’s still doing fine and better than the last time you were there. 😀

Bwhahahahaha! Now I had a vision of you and the boyfriend ‘snogging’ with that cast on your leg and LMAO!

Some of it was OK. But I am too individual – and also too old – to fit in with any rules etc. animal rights has always been my passion. They have no voice and for the most they want to live their lives and don’t seek to cause harm. Live and let live.

I am flagging now, so it is almost nite nite time. Do hope Stone God finds some better music.

Oh dear, listen to us ‘old’ ladies.. hahahaha. But I get what you’re saying. I totally agree with you. It’s beyond my comprehension how some people can still see animals as just ‘animals’ and don’t have any compassion for them.

It’s nearly 2 in the morning here and woke up after having a dream about you and that Stone God. The two of you were going crazy posting photo’s every few minutes on your blogs about butterflies and flowers. Looked like you were having a ‘photo marathon’. You even watermarked your photo’s with big copyright letters. Whahahahaha!

I totally agree and well, we all feel as old as we want to be. I don’t think immature is the right word. I think you just wear your age very well. Maybe it’s that eccentricity of yours. LOL!

It surely does but I’d much rather be in a heated debate about animal issues than one over politics or religion. 😀

Lucky you! I have lots of nights like that. Went back to bed at 5 and was woken by the neighbours prozac dogggie. Lucy is a Schnauzer and still a baby and tends to go in hysterial howling fits when her person leaves to go to work or go and play golf on weekends. Granny is there to look after them but it seems it doesn’t bother her that the dogs wake everyone else in the neighbourhood at 6 in the mornings on weekends. Anyways, I still like them even though they are not very person friendly.

LOL! Snowy sounds like he keeps you busy for sure. He is such a cutie. Please give him lots of hugs and kisses from me and for Pippa as well. 😀

hahahaha! I don’t believe that for one minute but thank you for thinking so. There’s nothing special about my flowers but I am glad you think so. It would be nice to see all the flowers you have around you as well. 😀

I don’t like saying ‘read my blog’ all the time, but as we’ve been talking flower shots of late, this is one reason I don’t post so many, I’ve already posted plenty. Plus people get sick of flowers. And birds. And sunsets. If they get sick of dogs or monkeys though that’s tough 😈

You have such interesting blogs Kate and I like how you divided them all up and would not mind at all seeing some more flower shots. I love seeing other people’s flower, birds and sunsets shots. It’s so nice to do this ‘vitual travelling’ and see all the beauty surrounding us. 🙂

hahahahaha! Now there I agree with you. When it comes to animals they can post all they want for sure. 😀

There should be something for most people in my blogs, although I draw the line at kids, make-up, fashion, and desserts.

Flowers turn up on roughseas as an incidental, and everypic if I have something to say that is more than this flower is a bluebell. I probably like flowers more than birds and sunsets. Phil Lanoe does some great bird shots plus alligators and sometimes mink.

I get my fix of dog pix over on dog blogs and those of you who include dog pix from time to time. Or monkeys. 🐒

Although I’ve got Pippa’s I do add the odd pic on RS if I’ve not posted on his. Most people, like to see animals.

There sure are and I don’t do the make-up, fashion and desserts thing either. I am a very bad foodie photographer. LOL!

I love flowers as well, especially close-up but do like the bugs on them more. 😀 Birds are difficult to photograph if you don’t have a telephoto lens and a fancy camera. I just googled Phil’s website. Wow! Totally amazing! Now that’s the kind of photography I would love to do. The flying Anhinga he captured is so gorgeous! *sigh* Maybe one day I will be so lucky. 😀

hahaha, same here. I have a few as well. There was one called Ruby, the Black Labrador but she hasn’t posted in quite a while and I miss her for sure. Simba doesn’t like posing as much anymore like in his earlier years. The old body is stiff and sore and he is grumpy. I don’t blame him as I know how it feels. But sometimes I get my lucky shots in as well. 😀 Oh, as long as the monkeys visits there will always be shots of them. 😀

I totally agree there. I am one of those ‘most people’. LOL! Anything about animals, nature and art is fine by me. 😀

I actually don’t like them, but that’s because I’m a purist and think the writing should adequately express intent and emotions correctly. However I may be persuaded to add them to Roughseas. I can do a dual poll for you (smilies) and Victoria (wants like button)

I’m trying to do a CV for some freelance editing work that someone kindly pointed out to me, but I thought I’d sneak across to read your morning humour.

I laughed at your last sentence. I have visions of you going mad like a kid in a sweet shop. Ooh! A like button, I’ll have that. And a load of smilies and laughies, lots of those, and hell, I’ll even leave a comment too 🙂 🙂 🙂

I like the ‘trying to do’. LOL! Must be something you’re quite apt at because you’re such a great writer. Put this note in : “Sonel says I am the best. If you don’t give me the job, it will be your loss.” 😀

Bwhahahahahahaha! You have such a lovely imagination! LOL! Now I am laughing at that vision as well. Now you have to make my day and add all those wishes in my cart and make Victoria’s day as well, so we can both jump up and down with joy! LOL!

Gib hospital sounds quite good as hospitals go.
What is it with the ‘we’ that the staff seem to want to use?
It always puzzled me when I visited my mum in hospital, I’d hear conversations between staff and patients….’how are WE today’? why are WE doing that’? ‘have WE filled in our meal request form’
What is matter with the word YOU?
I’ve not had much experience of hospitals, apart from visiting, but the food I’ve seen looked horrible, I can understand why Cobbies lost weight.
Bean omelet? Mmm, i love them, I’ll often do a baked bean omelet myself.
There is some rubbish on TV these days, though the two dramas you mentioned (Prey and Vera) I have watched and enjoyed.
Another Hal family member, LOL…….you’re catching me up 😉

I think from a care point of view I did ok. I rarely used the call bell and when I did staff came pretty quickly. Old dear in next bed pegged this, so she wd ask me to call for her, which I found annoying, but how do you say no?

‘We’ is very patronising/infanticising is it not? In the case of the consultant it made more sense. There is a team doing the op, so we was valid there, and at a stretch I was a part of the procedure (I WAS the procedure!). But ‘how are we today’ is downright irritating.

The omelette was green beans! Baked bean omelette sounds vile. In fact it looked a nice omelette but I rarely eat them, and I doubt the eggs were free range.

I’ve downloaded Wallender (Swedish version) and first episode of Hinterland so WE will see what I think to those. A wants me to find scrapyard challenge 😀

Cheek. I’ve got four Hal’s now, one of each and A has his old 3G. I think I’ve overtaken you. Plus Hal 5C and HalPad Air are newer models so yah boo 🙂

I agree, ‘we’ is how a lot of folk would talk to a a toddler, but unless it involved me, I could never use it.
Wallender is good, but I hate subtitles when I’m trying to watch something, probably harps back to my reading/font phobia.
Scrapyard Challenge, is that where they restore Landies?
We’re probably quits if you count A’s, I have a secret stash of Hals, Halpod Nano, Halpod Touch, Halphone, Halpad and big daddy HalMac 😉

I’m sorry to read that you have been “incommoded” by a small white Pod, and wish you a speedy recovery. I downloaded the latest Wallander and now can’t make my mind up if I like the new Henriksson Kurt or not. Is it because the character himself has changed, or is it the way he has been interpreted? Either way, I prefer the Lassgård versions. As for the Branagh…least said the better. Hinterland…Wales’ answer to Scandinavian drama; very dark and grainy, but watchable.

Hiya Totty. Me too. Who would think a small white Pod could so powerful? Well, me now. Obviously. Thanks. Speedy it won’t be, but I have patience. Hope you and yours are as well as can be up in your part of the world.

I just downloaded what was there as someone had recommended it a while ago. Hinterland indeed sounded dark in all senses which was one reason for d/l it. Branagh varies. Sometimes good, sometimes less so. He’s hardly Olivier. Or even Burton. How tiresome to be compared with long-dead icons.

Which brings me to my oft-repeated story of seeing Ralph Fiennes in Coriolanus when he seemed to have morphed into Leonard Rossiter. Must write a theatre post and add that tale.

I suspect I will battery up the IPad tomorrow and sit in OP watching TV.

Kate, I was wondering were you had been, but then again, we all have a life and sometimes just need to take a break from WP. But you were missed. I’m sorry to find out you were in the hospital with a broken ankle. Glad the surgery went well. Welcome back.

A break (but not a literal one) from WP can be good, it is easy to get distracted by interesting blogs and comments. I know, I do it all the time 😀 I usually slow down in summer, as Gibraltar goes onto ‘summer hours’ when people do even less than normal. As there is less happening, there is less to blog about so it is convenient. But at this time of year there is always lots to blog about …

Thank you. Let’s hope my next notable absence isn’t until summer hours, and even then it should be less of me, rather than none of me!

Plenty of power packed by your little Pod… I trust you have apologised to him for falling down and ruining his day….
I’m sorry you have had such a beastly injury…and that it then decided to go beastly complicated on you: all my sympathy for your six weeks non weight bearing time in plaster too..

Your posts here and elsewhere brought back memories of Leo’s experiences and mine in respect of various health services…..suspect I might need paracetamol for the consequent rise in blood pressure.

Amazing how such a small dog can be so powerful. I was trying to remember the equation from my physics classes about mass + velocity = force. Or something like that.

I am mildly satisfied – having done a bit of reading around – to discover that fracture blisters are ‘uncommon’. Quite a few people were amazed how long I’d been in – pre-op. It would have been regarded as a long stay post-op, but nearly two weeks before they even did anything?

I think the one who is going to get fed up is Partner. We’ve already managed one major row and I’ve not been home a week yet.

Does paracetamol affect blood pressure? Don’t know. Not convinced about temperature either. If you have a fever, fair enough, but if your temp just goes up and down because it does, I’m not convinced it solves anything. I think Leo’s experiences were a bit more serious than mine.

Paracetamol does affect BP, it lowers it quite drastically in some people. Last time we were waiting in A&E, J needed pain relief and they decided that intravenous Paracetamol was the safest bet. His BP dropped so far and so fast he fainted right out of his wheelchair…

I didn’t know that re BP. It was never mentioned during my stay, just the supposed impact on temp, but then my BP didn’t get particularly high. Mostly dropped throughout the two weeks. That sounds dramatic. Getting my leg replastered yesterday and the nurse was criticising the Spanish way of plastering 😀 I’m in love with tramadol for pain relief. Paracetamol and other NSAIDs may work quicker. I suppose if had fainted he wouldn’t feel the pain though, so to some extent it worked.

The answer to your quiz question… You are / were in The Old BMI (British Military Hospital) up above Buena Vista Barracks.

I found myself there on two occasions, both after suffering concussion, Waking up to a magnificent view across the Med. to Ceuta and Monte Hacho due South. I had not a clue who where or what I was but was not kept in suspenders for long… as a starchy Matron in the flamboyant uniform of a QARANC,entered, stage right!

Sporting a Major’s crowns on her epaulettes, she strode across and brusquely filled me in with all the dreadful details…. I was a scruffy Sapper who was taking up HER best bed in HER best Room at HER hospital and she was giving me a direct order to get my backside in gear and shift ever so quickly! Do I win the £5 prize?:-)

They are all closed now, although there is a new mil hospital at Devils Tower Camp, opened by Princess Anne, I think, a few years ago. The old civilian one, which I can only describe as ‘up the back’, near the top of castle steps I think, is also closed. The one I stayed in is on reclaimed land behind Chilton Court if you remember that. Gib has changed a lot in the past 20 years or so.

You do get a prize for a good dit though 🙂 but it’s nominal and merely for personal glory. Strictly no cash.

wow! you did have an adventure — of sorts. I can imagine your cries for help going unresponded to. Your comment about the large private room with a view (I think this was all in your earlier blog) made me marvel — we have very few large private rooms, never mind ones with a view! After spending many hours over many months visiting my mother in her latest hospital stay, I’d say that your stay in a Gib hospital beats what my mother experienced.
Photos of your ankle were pretty impressive. I’ve never heard of fracture blisters (despite having a fractured ankle at one time). I have no idea what kind of cast you have on your leg (is it a walking cast?) but if you do things the same way we do here, everyone and his dog will be signing it. You may consider keeping it for posterity. My advice? Don’t. But you know that already.
Throw it away as soon as you get the okay. And may that be sooner than anticipated!

One I could have done without. Well it was a four bed room, but I was the only occupant, so by default it was private. I was lucky with both rooms (the large one was for post surgery so people could be monitored closely) in that we had views. There were rooms on the other side of the corridor which presumably didn’t have decent views at all. Hell, if you’re in hospital, it’s nice to have something to look at out of the window.

Stays in hospital in the UK, in childhood, were in typical old Victorian hospitals. Ten or so years back I visited my dad in two very different hospitals, a post war city hospital and a small early 20th century cottage hospital which provided better nursing care. There is something to be said for good nursing care, but you also need good doctors, and the better ones tend to gravitate to large city teaching hospitals.

I’d not heard of the blisters before. Maybe they didn’t exist when I had my ankle problems years ago? 😀 It’s not a walking cast, I’m non-weight-bearing for six weeks. It’s a half cast ie a back slab, with lots of gauze and bandages. When I was a kid everybody signed my plasters. Looked quite messy and untidy in the end. Glad people can’t write on bandages. If I’d kept all the plasters I’d had they be falling out of the cupboards. I’m already on the fourth one this time around …

Anyway, there will be more on this saga, as I feel as though I am living in outpatients.